2013 World Championship Candidates

The 2013 Candidates Tournament takes place in London from 14 March - 2 April, with the winner earning the right to challenge current world champion Vishy Anand for the title.

The tournament is an 8-player double round-robin event, with 22-year old world #1 Magnus Carlsen the firm favourite to win. The venue is The IET at 2 Savoy Place, on the banks of London's river Thames, and the total prize fund is €510,000 (approx 665,000 USD).

All rounds start at 14:00 GMT, and the time control is 2 hours for 40 moves, then an extra 1 hour for the next 20 moves, then 15 minutes with a 30 second increment to finish.

The Norwegian superstar Magnus Carlsen is officially the highest rated chess player of all-time, and the heir apparent to the incumbent champion Vishy Anand. Aged just 22, Carlsen has set himself apart from his rivals with his enormous natural talent and sheer will to win.

It’s hard to see any weaknesses in his armour, but as the clear favourite in London the pressure on his shoulders will be immense. Ruthless in attack and resourceful in defence, will he fulfill his destiny and become Anand’s next title challenger?

Vladimir Kramnik stunned the chess world when he defeated the legendary Garry Kasparov to claim the World Chess Championship title for himself in 2000. Conveniently avoiding a rematch with Kasparov, he successfully defended his title in 2004 against Peter Leko with a last-gasp victory in the final game. Then came the acrimonious encounter with Veselin Topalov which spawned headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Since losing his title to Anand in 2007, Kramnik has maintained his competitiveness and undergone something of a transformation from a notoriously solid and cautious player into someone altogether more adventurous. At 37, Kramnik must be near his peak and represents a real threat to Carlsen’s chances.

Likeable and laid-back, Lev Aronian is a popular figure in the chess world, and a hero in his native chess-mad Armenia. Described at turns as a “diabolically talented lazy guy”, and a “coffee-house player”, he claims to have become more serious in his chess study over the last few years, which have seen him achieve his highest ever rating.

Aronian was the favourite in the last Candidates event, but crashed out in the first round to Alexander Grischuk. But in a recent interview Magnus Carlsen named Aronian as his most dangerous opponent in the London Candidates. Has the Armenian done his homework this time?

Teimour Radjabov owes his berth in the Candidates to his status as the nominee of the original hosts, Azerbaijan, but as the #4 ranked player in the world, he richly deserves his place in the contest. He hit the headlines at the age of 15 by sensationally beating Garry Kasparov with the black pieces at the 2003 Linares tournament.

Ten years later his dynamic play - especially with the black pieces - has brought him close to the ultimate prize. Can he become the new ‘Beast from Baku’?

Never afraid to voice his opinions, Alexander Grischuk’s controversial quick-draw strategy with white at the last Candidates event left many fans angry and pundits declaring the death of classical chess. Only Boris Gelfand’s victory in the last game of the final stopped Grischuk from becoming Anand’s challenger.

This time around, the tournament format will prevent a repeat of that successful strategy, but Grischuk has nerves of steel and determination to match. None of his fellow Candidates will take him lightly.

There is only one Vassily Ivanchuk! A man so obsessed by chess his opponents say he lives all by himself on “Planet Ivanchuk”. The unpredictable Ukrainian genius wears his heart on his sleeve, and can blow hot and cold from one tournament to the next. All of which makes him hard to play against and impossible to rule out of contention in any event. If he makes a good start to the competition and gets in a positive frame of mind he could be unstoppable.

Affable and witty, Peter Svidler is a popular player on the chess circuit. A hugely experienced campaigner, Svidler has won the Russian national championship an amazing six times and qualified for this Candidates competition by winning the hugely competitive 2011 World Cup.

If he has prepared seriously, then cricket-loving Peter Svidler could be a force to reckon with!

Boris Gelfand came within a whisker of wresting the title from Vishy Anand when they fought each other for the title in 2012. Anand needed rapid tie-breaks before finally retaining his crown. Massively experienced, extremely solid and always well-prepared, Gelfand cannot be ruled out from qualifying for another tilt at the title despite being the lowest rated player in the field.

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Round-by-Round Pairings

Round 1

15/03/13

Levon Aronian

-

Magnus Carlsen

Boris Gelfand

-

Teimour Radjabov

Vassily Ivanchuk

-

Alexander Grischuk

Peter Svidler

-

Vladimir Kramnik

Round 2

16/03/13

Magnus Carlsen

-

Vladimir Kramnik

Alexander Grischuk

-

Peter Svidler

Teimour Radjabov

-

Vassily Ivanchuk

Levon Aronian

-

Boris Gelfand

Round 3

17/03/13

Boris Gelfand

-

Magnus Carlsen

Vassily Ivanchuk

-

Levon Aronian

Peter Svidler

-

Teimour Radjabov

Vladimir Kramnik

-

Alexander Grischuk

Round 4

19/03/13

Magnus Carlsen

-

Alexander Grischuk

Teimour Radjabov

-

Vladimir Kramnik

Levon Aronian

-

Peter Svidler

Boris Gelfand

-

Vassily Ivanchuk

Round 5

20/03/13

Vassily Ivanchuk

-

Magnus Carlsen

Peter Svidler

-

Boris Gelfand

Vladimir Kramnik

-

Levon Aronian

Alexander Grischuk

-

Teimour Radjabov

Round 6

21/03/13

Peter Svidler

-

Magnus Carlsen

Vladimir Kramnik

-

Vassily Ivanchuk

Alexander Grischuk

-

Boris Gelfand

Teimour Radjabov

-

Levon Aronian

Round 7

23/03/13

Magnus Carlsen

-

Teimour Radjabov

Levon Aronian

-

Alexander Grischuk

Boris Gelfand

-

Vladimir Kramnik

Vassily Ivanchuk

-

Peter Svidler

Round 8

24/03/13

Magnus Carlsen

-

Levon Aronian

Teimour Radjabov

-

Boris Gelfand

Alexander Grischuk

-

Vassily Ivanchuk

Vladimir Kramnik

-

Peter Svidler

Round 9

25/03/13

Vladimir Kramnik

-

Magnus Carlsen

Peter Svidler

-

Alexander Grischuk

Vassily Ivanchuk

-

Teimour Radjabov

Boris Gelfand

-

Levon Aronian

Round 10

27/03/13

Magnus Carlsen

-

Boris Gelfand

Levon Aronian

-

Vassily Ivanchuk

Teimour Radjabov

-

Peter Svidler

Alexander Grischuk

-

Vladimir Kramnik

Round 11

28/03/13

Alexander Grischuk

-

Magnus Carlsen

Vladimir Kramnik

-

Teimour Radjabov

Peter Svidler

-

Levon Aronian

Vassily Ivanchuk

-

Boris Gelfand

Round 12

29/03/13

Magnus Carlsen

-

Vassily Ivanchuk

Boris Gelfand

-

Peter Svidler

Levon Aronian

-

Vladimir Kramnik

Teimour Radjabov

-

Alexander Grischuk

Round 13

31/03/13

Teimour Radjabov

-

Magnus Carlsen

Alexander Grischuk

-

Levon Aronian

Vladimir Kramnik

-

Boris Gelfand

Peter Svidler

-

Vassily Ivanchuk

Round 14

01/04/13

Magnus Carlsen

-

Peter Svidler

Vassily Ivanchuk

-

Vladimir Kramnik

Boris Gelfand

-

Alexander Grischuk

Levon Aronian

-

Teimour Radjabov

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Look out for details of Chess.com TV coverage of the event at this page.

Place your bets ladies and gentlemen! Who do you want to win, and who do you think will win?

To me, it doesn't matter who gets to be challenger, as long as they win because in the previous championship Anand had against Gelfand, he didn't seem like he wanted to play exciting chess. We need a new young champion.

Nakamura is not in because he has not played sensationally since he won the Tata Steel tournament a few years ago. At that time he said he would make a run at becoming world champion, but his deeds have not matched his words. He is still amazing, don't get me wrong, but he has not played in a way befitting a world champion challenger.

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